Hoping to fill the growing need for a highly skilled workforce, students would be encouraged to pursue degrees in computer science under bipartisan, bicameral legislation from U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS).
The Computer Science Career Education Act would establish a pipeline of educational and work-based opportunities in computer science. The bill calls for creating a grant program through the U.S. Department of Education to support the workforce needs of employers and to better integrate secondary and postsecondary education.
Costello introduced the House bill with U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) on May 3, and Wicker introduced the companion version of the legislation in the Senate in March with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
“Encouraging students to explore the education and career opportunities in the computer science field can help close the skills gap and prepare students for success,” Costello, a member of the Science, Technology, Education and Math (STEM) Caucus, said. “Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to both innovative students and employers who would benefit from this bill.”
There are fewer than 50,000 graduates with bachelor’s degrees in computer science each year — but one in every two STEM jobs will be in computing. Furthermore, there will be 1.3 million computing job openings by 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“In too many classrooms across America, our students do not have access to a computer science education,” Wicker said. “The world is moving fast, and our states need to keep up with job growth in the technology industry. The long-term success of our economy and our national security depend on having a workforce that understands these ever-changing technologies. I believe this legislation can help us achieve that goal.”